I can understand and agree with you if you are talking only about the wedding reception after the marriage ceremony, but to attend a wedding ceremony in a church, come on now.
I am married and I was involved in the planning. We did not put any restrictions on the church wedding, (come one,come all to share in our joy), but we did limit who was invited to the reception, because of the money involved.
But yes, just going to a wedding, crashers could do that. And yes, some people ask lots of people to attend the wedding, but DO NOT have them to the rest.
I am so thankful that I got married way back in 1973 when all we had at the reception was cake and punch. I made my own wedding dress, my own design, and it was a long dress and long veil and long train. I used to make all my own clothes. It cost me $24 for the fabric. Can't get a yard of any good fabric that cheap anymore. I even made the headpiece. I made my going away outfit and trousseau. I made one of the bridesmaid dresses. My sister made the other two and she made my mother's dress. My mother made the beautiful lacy ruffled table covering that the cake sat on. We had a little bowl of nuts and a bowl of mints. My aunts and sister in law manned the cake table. It was in our church and the ladies there manned the kitchen. Whole wedding, big church wedding... $300. Today's dollars that would be about $3K. Weddings have gotten totally out of hand. $25K and up.
Our niece just got married in Feb. in Denton, Texas. She found a GORGEOUS long wedding dress for $99, clearance. Looked identical to one a friend wore for her wedding only hers was $5K.
The Denton wedding was at a B&B that caters to weddings. Reception was cake and delicious HUGE strawberries, coffee, beer, wine, soda. It was GREAT!~ we didn't NEED any of the nasty buffett food you usually get from caterers at weddings... tough stringy cold meat, etc. that is way over priced.
I heard that wedding receptions are now the #2 top industry in USA> behind what, they didn't say.....
These expensive weddings are such a waste of money. Do a smaller wedding, just have cake at reception at the church, and give the kids the money you save to buy a car or a house. Most weddings don't last anymore anyway.....